Codilla to DPWH: Get city permit first before any project in Ormoc

ORMOC CITY ,Philippines  – Officials of the DPWH-4th Leyte Engineering District must secure a building permit first whenever a project will be implemented by them in the city.

This was the order of Mayor Eric Codilla issued during the meeting of the City Peace and Order Council the other day that was attended by DPWH officials, led by Lino Francisco Gonzales.

Gonzales was silent and showed no reaction when the mayor aired his concern over the DPWH’s projects that were implemented allegedly without coordination with the city government.

Codilla said coordination between the LGU and the DPWH is important, citing at least two projects that were carried out but caused the city government to alter its masterplans.

One of the projects the mayor mentioned was the 6-classroom school building for Liloan National High School that the DPWH constructed in an area the city had earlier intended for a 20-classrooom building.

 “That (6-classroom building) should have been constructed in the opposite side,” Codilla said. “The city’s planned construction of the 20-classroom building will now be delayed until the city engineering department can find ways to redesign the now disturbed master plan.”

Another project was the school building in Bgy. Maticaa where the DPWH put roofing on a building that the city had earlier planned to be a 2-storey structure. “The city will now wait for 10 years more before adding another floor because it will be impractical to dismantle the newly placed roofing,” said the dismayed Codilla.

“Had the DPWH informed the city first, the project could have been better because students and teachers would have a 2-storey building with lesser cost while addressing the classroom shortage,” Codilla told the DPWH officials.